Grins and Girlfriends
by That-Flying-Breadstick-Wizard
Summary: Jace's best friend has been acting a bit strange lately. Happy. Weird. Smiley. ...Not that Jace doesn't want Alec to be happy! But... He's worried, okay? Malec!High School AU, oneshot. Sorry it's so short, guys!
**Wow, two in one day? Judgement Day has come.**

 **Yeah, idk, this was hanging around my hard drive, and I was like,** ** _oh yeah, that thing i wrote. i could post that._**

 **So.. uh... Here it is! It's an AU, Jace POV, they're all in like high school or something. They're teenagers, okay, I didn't put much plot into it, I just sort of typed it when I got bored, okay? It's like midnight, cut me some slack.**

 **I don't own these lovely, precious cinnamon rolls, nor any of the Shadowhunters universe. I am alone in my existence, owning nothing, being nothing, loving nothing. Untouched, uncared for, unknown. You will never find me, humans. You will** ** _never._** **Find** ** _me._** ** _EVER._**

 **Enjoy, ya' great big nerds. :D**

 _Alec's changed this past year,_ mused Jace.

He was sitting alone at Taki's, sipping his drink warily.

His older brother had always been the responsible one. The quiet one. But he'd also always seemed... Sad. Well, maybe that wasn't the right word. Incomplete. Solemn. Alone. Like he was always hiding.

But lately... Lately he'd been so much _happier._

Jace remembered not too long ago, Alec had been texting- _texting,_ since when did he text, and in fact, who the hell had he been texting? -and he'd _laughed._ It had been a loud, unrestrained laugh, happy and genuine, and why couldn't Jace remember the last time Alec had laughed like that?

He'd been catching Alec like that more and more often- giving his phone fond and exasperated looks, chuckling at something on the screen, or hell, even talking with someone on it, and he looked so _happy._

Jace had _no_ problem with this whatsoever, but he wished Alec trusted him enough to tell him about whatever girl he'd met.

But he _didn't._

When Jace casually brought up, _Hey, what are you laughing at?_ He'd panicked. His face had instantly gone blank, he'd slipped the phone into his pocket, and he'd insisted it was nothing. No one.

Jace had tried many times since to get Alec to admit _something_ about this girl.

Izzy seemed to know something, but she wouldn't say what. She'd just smile sadly as Alec denied his girlfriend's(?) existence all together.

Jace studied a couple several tables away. He could only see one of them- a rather flamboyant Asian boy with eyeliner and glitter in his hair- but he was very loud. Jace couldn't quite hear the words they were saying, but the boy was clearly enthusiastic.

Jace was irritated. He wasn't feeling too charitable today. But before he could ask them to _shut up,_ the waitress came with his biscotti.

"Thanks," he said, winking. She smiled, flushing slightly, and scurried off.

He rolled his eyes, turning his thoughts back to his loyal older brother.

Then he began to sneak out of the house- at _night._ Good boy Alec, sneaking out? Unheard of. This girl must really be something special. So why the hell wouldn't he tell Jace about it?

Maybe he thought their parents wouldn't approve. Was the girl poor or foreign or something? Either way, it wouldn't matter in the end- especially to Jace.

Even worse, he was sure he should have figured it out by now. The answer was niggling at him, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

Jace groaned. This was getting him nowhere.

He had tried to follow Alec a couple times, but he always lost him before Alec reached his destination. Although wherever he was going, it was in the Brooklyn area. Which wasn't much help.

Just then, a noise interrupted his thoughts.

The couple from earlier were getting up, and they were laughing and smiling. The one he couldn't see- they had dark hair- pulled in the other for a kiss. When he pulled back, Jace could see that the Asian boy was surprised but pleased. His date was male- not that it mattered to Jace- and they left a big tip. He was about to turn away when he caught sight of the other man's face.

Warm hazel eyes and a smile Jace had been seeing more of lately, wide and genuine. His brother.

 _Oh._ he thought. _Oh._

This explained everything. Alec and this boy were dating- but, what, had the dumbass thought Jace would actually _care_ that Alec was gay? Maybe their parents would- _maybe_ \- but Jace wouldn't.

 _Did Izzy know?_ He thought wildly, thinking of her sad smiles, her knowing looks. _She must have._

He got up to after them. They were already at the door.

Jace slipped out, following after them.

They were actually holding hands- PDA was not Alec's thing, Jace knew, so that was odd- and the glittery boy was talking animatedly about something. He was pointing at a stray cat up ahead of them, grinning widely. Alec looked amused- but more than that. His gaze was trained on the other and full of- adoration, happiness. Love.

How could he have hidden this from Jace for a year? Someone he obviously care for- loved, even?

Ahead, the Asian boy broke off, chasing the cat, Alec laughingly running after him into the alley.

Jace inhaled sharply, before determinedly marching into the alley and up behind them. They were curled into each other, sharing a deep kiss, when Jace's shadow fell on their entwined figures.

"Hey, Alec," he said, voice a tad bit colder than usual. "Care to explain what's going on?"

They both froze, heads whipping to face him. The cat let out a startled meow, bounding away.

 _Okay, I really could have phrased that better,_ Jace thought.

To his surprise- and evidently the other boy's, too, Alec didn't pull away. He curled closer, not bothering to deny what was obviously happening as Jace had thought he would.

The glittery boy looked shocked but pleased, smiling warmly at Alec.

Alec looked like he was trying very hard to play it cool. "H-hey, Jace," he said. "This is my- my boyfriend, Magnus."

The effect was ruined by his red cheeks, mussed hair, and the strangely-shaped "bruise" on his neck.

If the glittery boy- Magnus, apparently- had looked shocked before, now he looked absolutely stunned, disbelief and joy naked on his face for less than a second before he reverted back to his smooth smile.

"M-magnus, this is Jace, my brother." Alec said. Magnus waved cheerily.

"You're an idiot," Jace said fondly, staring Alec down.

Alec blinked, hard, and Magnus frowned.

Jace rolled his eyes. "I don't care that you like dick, idiot, I just can't believe you didn't _tell_ me. Seriously, when did you meet this guy?"

Alec blushed.

"Today's our one year anniversary," Magnus spoke up. "We've known each other for a bit longer than that."

"He's why you've been smiling so much lately, right?" Jace said quietly. "I've never seen you look so happy."

"Uh, yeah." Alec said. "He is. He does. Uh, make me happy, that is. He really, really does."

Magnus looked pleased. "You make me happy too, darling." he flirted.

"Aw, you two are way too sappy for me," Jace scoffed. "Go chase that cat. And next time you get a boyfriend, _tell me."_

Jace was walking away, but he still caught it.

"There won't be a next time," muttered Alec, apparently not meant to be heard. Jace rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. Magnus was grinning, a full, happy grin. "Perhaps if he gets a fiance?" he suggested coyly, winking at Alec.

Alec blushed, but didn't protest.

Jace was around the corner, but he could imagine what came after that. Not that he was going to.

Those idiots.

 **They're totally making out, and Jace knows it. Against a wall. No alley sex, though. (Probably. IDK man, I left with Jace to give them some privacy.) That cat, however, is probably going to be adopted soon after this. Perhaps they'll name it Khoshekh. Unlikely, but you never know!**

 **As for that malec!au I'm working on, I've got 1.3 chapters written and a fairly good layout of a lot of the things that need to happen. I have a title, too! You know that song,** ** _Chasing Cars,_** **by Snow Patrol? Well, dear reader, that's the title! Thoguht I'd try that trend of using song lyrics/titles as fanfiction titles. Why not, am I right?**

 **Well, good night! (Or good morning, as at the time I type this, it's technically 12:08.)**


End file.
